Rodriguez sues MLB and Selig, citing 'witch hunt'

Saturday

Oct 5, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Larry Neumeister and Ronald Blum, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Alex Rodriguez sued Major League Baseball and commissioner Bud Selig, accusing them of pursuing ''vigilante justice'' as part of a ''witch hunt'' designed to smear the character of the Yankees star and cost him tens of millions of dollars.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in New York State Supreme Court, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for what it alleges was a relentless campaign to ''destroy the reputation and career of Alex Rodriguez.''

The suit was filed during the first week of hearings in the grievance by the Major League Baseball Players Association to overturn the 211-game suspension of Rodriguez imposed by MLB on Aug. 5 for alleged violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract. The suspension stemmed from an investigation of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic, headed by Anthony Bosch.

A decision on the grievance by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is not likely for several months.

Albert Pujols also filed a lawsuit. The Los Angeles Angels slugger sued Jack Clark on Friday over comments on a local radio show accusing the three-time NL MVP of using steroids.

The lawsuit between former Cardinals stars was filed in Circuit Court in St. Louis County, where Clark lives. It seeks unspecified damages and asks for a determination and declaration that Clark's statements are false.

MLB issued a statement Friday that called Rodriguez's actions ''desperate'' and said his suit was in a ''clear violation'' of the confidentiality provisions of the Joint Drug Agreement between MLB and the union.

Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz shot back in a statement of his own that the league's violation claim was ''preposterous."

''Many of the bases for the complaint filed by Mr. Rodriguez last night arise from MLB's willful and persistent violations of those very confidentiality provisions over the past six months and beyond,'' Berkowitz said.

The suit claims Selig and MLB tried to smear the three-time AL MVP's reputation to ''gloss over'' Selig's past inaction on performance-enhancing drugs, which the lawsuit said had turned the ''Golden Age of Baseball'' into the ''Golden Age of Steroids.''

The lawsuit, calling baseball's probe ''faulty and prohibited,'' said Selig hoped to redeem himself and secure his legacy as the ''savior'' of America's pastime at Rodriguez's expense.

''Taking down Mr. Rodriguez would vividly demonstrate that Commissioner Selig had learned from the errors of his previous explicit or tacit tolerance of steroid use,'' the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit claimed MLB is paying Bosch $5 million in monthly installments to buy his cooperation. Federal and Florida state prosecutors are probing Bosch.

''Such are the lengths that Commissioner Selig and MLB have stooped to in their witch hunt against Mr. Rodriguez — paying and protecting someone under investigation for providing steroids to minors,'' the lawsuit said.

Joyce Fitzpatrick, a spokeswoman for Bosch, denied the allegations against her client.

''Mr. Bosch is cooperating fully with Major League Baseball. He did request that security be provided because he feels his life is in danger,'' she said. ''However, the allegation that he was paid for his testimony is absolutely untrue.''